MINNESOTA GOV. OFFERS THE "CARLSON DOCTRINE" ON SPORTS

MN Gov. Arne Carlson "proposed a comprehensive, albeit
sketchy, 'global' approach to the public funding of pro
sports in Minnesota," according to Weiner & Whereatt of the
Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. While Carlson offered no new
financing ideas, he said that the futures of the Twins,
Vikings and the new St. Paul NHL team "should be linked."
Carlson: "We're going to have to approach it with a much
more global solution." But Weiner & Whereatt write that
Carlson's comments "generally ran counter to legislative
sentiment," and that some saw his bringing the Vikings into
the picture "as another problem for the Twins effort."
Carlson said the state legislature should consider a $250M
investment in s Twins ballpark; $125M to refurbish the
Metrodome and $65M towards the arena for St. Paul's NHL
expansion team. Carlson, referring to state legislators:
"Stop making silly promises of no public money. Of course,
it's going to have public money" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE,
10/30). Carlson also floated the possibility of moving the
NHL expansion team to the Target Center and building a Twins
ballpark in St. Paul. But the NHL team owners "discounted
such speculation" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/30).
IT'S NOTHING PERSONAL, IT'S ONLY BUSINESS: In MN,
Phelps & Tevlin write that after the legislature asked the
Twin Cities business and labor communities to support a new
Twins ballpark, a survey found "mostly lukewarm response"
among union and business execs. Other than luxury suite
commitments, the business community "indicated that it would
stay largely on the sidelines. And unions said their rank
and file reflect the general population's hesitancy to use
state money for pro sports" (STAR TRIBUNE, 10/30).